Preheat oven to 325ºF. Chop boned and skinned chicken into 3/4 inch pieces. Sauté onion in 2 T. oil until translucent, add garlic and sauté one minute more. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth or more, depending on volume of chicken. You want the mixture thoroughly moist, but not soupy Add salt and pepper to taste, and green chile until desired heat level is reached. (Remember that adding tortillas, cheese, and sour cream will dilute the heat level.) Stir chicken mixture to combine, but do not cook further.

ASSEMBLY:

Coat bottom of cooking pan with remaining 2 T. cooking oil. You may need additional oil if you are using a large pan. Add about 1/4 c. half and half, or enough to make a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Shingle 1/3 or 1/4 of your tortillas on the bottom of the pan, depending on size of pan and number of desired servings. Put 1/2 or 1/3 of chicken-chile mixture on top of tortillas, depending on whether you want 3 or 4 layers. Continue with tortillas, half and half and chicken until you use all of the chicken mixture. Pour enough half and half over the top to moisten the tortillas. Spread a 1/2 inch layer of sour cream over the top, and then cover top with a nice thick layer of cheese. If in doubt, use more rather than less or both sour cream and cheese. Cover pan with foil and cook for 35 minutes. Uncover casserole and check to make sure that cheese is melted and center of casserole is hot. Raise oven temperature to 350ºF and cook until cheese bubbles and is very slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Pick over 2 pounds of beans. Rinse. Place in four quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let beans sit overnight.

The next day, rinse the beans three times. Put them back into the rinsed pot and add 2 or more quarts of chicken stock. If you’re making vegetarian or vegan beans, use vegetable stock or water. Add one chopped onion, a head of garlic, 1/2 cup or more of roasted and peeled green chile, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. Mexican oregano, salt and pepper, and pork of choice: half a rack of smoked ribs, smoked sausage, bacon, or ham hocks. Leave out the pork for vegan or vegetarian version and instead add 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika to give the beans a nice smoky flavor and 1/4 cup of good olive oil. Note: If you have a sensitivity to alliums, substitute finely chopped carrots, celery, and red bell pepper for the onions and garlic. Be sure to chop or grate the vegetables finely enough so that they will break down during cooking. Bring beans to a simmer, cover, and simmer for several hours or until just tender. You can also put the entire pot into a 200º oven and go off and leave them for half a day or more. Add more broth or water as needed to keep beans covered with liquid.

When beans are just tender, add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the other seasonings. Cook at least 2 hours more until the beans absorb the seasonings. The bean liquid will thicken as the beans begin to break down a bit. Keep adding liquid as needed. Serve when creamy, preferably the day after you cook them. Before serving I stir in additional roasted, peeled, and chopped green chile. Garnish with cilantro. These beans keep for 5 days in the refrigerator, and they freeze beautifully.

My parents were married in New Orleans in 1941. My mom learned to cook there. This is her recipe for red beans.

1 (16-ounce) package dried red kidney beans

1 pound spicy smoked sausage

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

1 quart chicken broth

1 quart water

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more, to taste

1/2 teaspoon thyme, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pick over beans. Rinse. Place in at least two quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let beans sit overnight. The next day, rinse the beans three times.

Cut smoked sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Sauté sausage in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until sausage is golden brown. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Add celery and next 3 ingredients to hot drippings, and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add tomato paste and simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes.

Stir in beans, broth, and remaining ingredients; increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender and creamy. It usually takes a couple of hours to get them to the texture that I like. Add more broth or water as needed to keep beans covered with liquid. Stir in sausage, and simmer 30 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired. These are better if you serve them the day after you cook them next day.

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, buttermilk and butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and fold together until there are no dry spots (the batter will still be lumpy). Add toasted piñons and chopped green chile. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or baking dish.

Bake until the top is golden brown and tester inserted into the middle of the corn bread comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

1. FOR THE FILLING: Select 6 ounces misshapen, underripe, or otherwise unattractive berries, halving those that are large; you should have about 1½ cups. In food processor, process berries to smooth puree, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. You should have about ¾ cup puree.

2. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell, and salt in medium saucepan. Stir in berry puree, making sure to scrape corners of pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with heatproof rubber spatula, and bring to full boil. Boil, scraping bottom and sides of pan to prevent scorching, for 2 minutes to ensure that cornstarch is fully cooked (mixture will appear frothy when it first reaches boil, then will darken and thicken with further cooking). Transfer to large bowl and stir in lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, pick over remaining berries and measure out 2 pounds of most attractive ones; halve only extra-large berries. Add berries to bowl with glaze and fold gently with rubber spatula until berries are evenly coated. Scoop berries into pie shell, piling into mound. If any cut sides face up on top, turn them face down. If necessary, rearrange berries so that holes are filled and mound looks attractive. Refrigerate pie until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve within 5 hours of chilling.

4. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: Just before serving, beat cream and sugar with electric mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave trail, about 30 additional seconds. Add orange liqueur. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume and forms soft peaks, 30 to 60 seconds.

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Put the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until the chocolate melts, then remove the bowl from the pan.

Put the eggs, turbinado sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the same pan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer; beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the beer and vanilla to a low boil in a saucepan. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the beer mixture, then the melted chocolate, until combined, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the butter until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 1 hour, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the ring. Let cool completely.

Make the meringue: Microwave the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate melts.

Whisk the granulated sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and 1/3 cup water in a heat proof bowl. Put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; beat with a handheld mixer on low speed, then gradually increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan; continue beating until the meringue is cool and fluffy. Fold in the vanilla, then fold in the melted chocolate until swirled. Spread the meringue on the cake.

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across pan. Add onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until onions are soft.

2. Add sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until onions appear dry.

3. Add vinegar and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until onions are soft and dry. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store marmalade in refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks. Makes about 2 cups.